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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR MCUARTER, of Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved combination in the construction of Soif-Acting Couplings for Railroad Ca'rs and the like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof', reference being had-to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specieation, in-which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the coupling-boxes, A, with a link, G, shown in the Haring mouth, E.

Figure 2, a vertical section of two such boxes and link.

Figure 3, portion shown in perspective, seen from behind the dared mouth.

'Figure 4, a section of a short box, with the swinging pin drawn out.

Figure 5, detachedv views of the swinging pin, C, and yielding stand-post, F, showing the link-notch, g, and sliding shoulders, f.

The nature of this `invention consists in the device of un eflicient, self-acting coupling, which will obviate the necessity of getting between the cars in the operation, often proving fatal, in coupling cars in the ordinary manner. I am aware, also, that numerous devices with this viewv have been patented, but none have been extensively adopted by railroad companies, owing to sonic objection or defect in their operation, which it is designed to remedy by this combination of parts.

To enable others skilied in the art to make and use my invention, I will brielly describe its construction (clearlyrshown) and operation.

' The casing, A, may be made ot; wrought or cast iron, with a pair of standards, B B', with slot and terminal recess, D D', in-which the cross-arm, d, on the pin C, slides, or is lodged in the recess D', suspending the key or pin C between the standards B B'. The oval-widened and iiaring mouth, E, with its guide or side wings, E', forms the bull-nose or butter, guiding the link in forming a connection. The stand-post, F, may terminate the box, and be permanently aliixed, or made with shoulders,f, for sliding in a slot made in the upper and lower side of the extended casing, A. This stand-post, F, in either" case has a deep notch, y, iig. 5, with rounded lips, for the reception of the end and support of the link, to keep it horizontal when coupling. The object of having a sliding stand-post, F, with a coiled spring, I-I, to act against, is to prevent injury to the end of the link when thrust back with too much force. The side extension, E', of the mouth guides the link into the notch and prevents a lateral mot-ion. The operation is illustrated by tig. 4, which shows the link supported in the notch and lip of a short box. The pin C may be down or hanging in the recess as shown, since'the least concussion of the buffers or links will dislodge it, so as to drop down through the opening ot' the link Gr. In the long case, the pin C is shown down, swinging by its arm, el, in thevertical slots, D, of thel standards, B B', and as the link enters it lifts the end of the pin till its rounded end has passed under it and strikes the notch of the stuud-post, F, when the swinging pin drops between theopening of the link, and the will cause the pin of thefopposite casing'to drop, if not previously in that position, and the coupling will be com! plete and eeetual without attention to the parts at the time. For uncoupling, the' pin is drawn out or upwards in the slotted standards, and either suspended vertically or laid back, as shown in lig. 4. It will be seen that this arrangement is equally well .adapted to the use of short o'r long'lnks, and can readily be applied to ordi. nary couplings now in use. p u l I am aware that I. H. Parsons car-coupling, patented February 13, 1866, has a closed shell, and bars that Slide up and down in slots cut in the sides of the shell. These bars are connected at the topto the pin, with other fixings contrived With a view to the same end, differing, however, in several important points. This is the case when contrasted with the one hundred and forty-one couplings granted since 1861. I do not find a euse with a slotted top and bottom, having vertical standards and its sides open, except where the prolonged sidepieeesF.' of 'the mouth form guides as stated; nor do I find a stand-post, either firm or yielding, with a linkbearing notch,'to hold the .link in a horizontal posit-ion; nor do I findeI pin 'with a cross-arm operating vin slotted standards in themanner described.

,What- I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination and arrangement of the slotted easing, A, with its vertical standards, D B', cross-rerun, c2, when. operating in atverticul slot., D, with a terminal-recess, D', together with a stationary or yieldof pin, C

ing stand-post, F, with its link-notch, g, all arranged and operating in the manner and for the purpose specified.

ght standnrds, B B', when slotted I -also cieim the cross-amm, d, on the pin C,V in combination with the upri in the manner and for the purpose showin.

I also olaimvthe yielding stand-post, F, with its link-slot, in combination with the coiled spring, H, con

tiucted and operating in the manner shown for the purpose described. Y

I also claim the prolongation or jaws, E', of the iared mou'th, E, in combination with the open case, A,

when constructed in the manner kond for the purpose shown and set forth.

ARTHUR MCARTER.

Witnesses JOHN LNI. Auwu, JACOB STAUFFER. 

